Tide pod crisis shows brands must reflect true personality on social media

Companies should widely communicate incorrect usage and consequential effects on social and other media most used by the consumers of a product

That social media is a double-edged sword for brands today is apparent from the sway it holds in generating trends that can make or mar reputation equally in the blink of an eye. Some of the consequences can also be unintended, as with the ongoing crisis that the P&G detergent brand Tide has had to grapple with thanks to the “Tide pod challenge” sweeping across social media in the West. While the jury is still out on whether the FMCG major has swiftly taken out a brand management exercise or not, experts point to lessons that corporates closer home can